Categories of Lies
Little white lies: lies about trivial matters, like false excuses to spare a person’s feelings; flattery; “how are you feeling”; “how’s it going”; etc. – these lies must be truly harmless and inconsequential, never intended to be given a second thought.
Placebos: deceptions to make a person feel better (like sugar pills); euphemisms; some self-help gimmickry; false reassurance.
Pufferies: inflation and exaggeration to make something sound better than it is; false praise; false encouragement; false support.
Misdirections: false recommendations; intentional incorrect or incomplete answers.
Bluffs: fake resumes; false credentials.
Protections String-Alongs: lies to protect a colleague; lies t protect a client lies t liars (to teach them a lesson; to give them a taste of their own medicine).
Snow Jobs: lies to enemies.
Terminological Inexactitudes: lies to the boss (this term was first use Winston Churchill!); also knows as “soft-soaps”.
Defensive Lies: lies in a crisis when innocent lives, health, or safety are at risk. (may be morally justifiable if the lie can pass the “publicity test”.)
The source: that was in my ENGL 225 handout “Ethics and Professional Communications or You Want Me to Write What?”
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Posted on August 10th, 2009 under Professional Writing • Tags: communication, ethics, honesty, lies, white lies. •
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August 10th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
I wonder which one is the worst type of a lie?
August 10th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I think the worst kind of lie is the one that causes the most damage. Our lying corrupts us in the first place. We cannot trust others.
Then lying destroys credibility. Your credibility is tainted, you are done, no matter what you do.
And yet, we all lie. Life is impossible without lying. It is a personal choice when and how much to lie. It makes me feel horrible that is the reason why I detest it. But I lie too. Guilty as charged.
August 11th, 2009 at 1:04 am
Man, now I feel really bad. I do all of those
August 11th, 2009 at 4:12 am
Haha, I love it! I had no idea there were so many kinds of lies. I like “Terminological Inexactitudes” the best.